Free Stores in Kansas?
"The Free Store has political
implications that no hip shops have had before in Kansas City."
That's a remarkable insight. It's from an article I found in The Screw, an underground newspaper from
Kansas City, MO (Aug. 1, 1969):
Dennis’ Free StoreAre you tired of the shirt you’re wearing? Go down to the Free Store at
39th & Main across from The Beacon, take it off, toss it down, look
around, find another one, put it on and leave. The Free Store has plenty
of shirts, pants, shoes, boots, records, books, and jackets. You can
have any of them you want. Just bring in something, anything, and take
out whatever you like. The proprietor of this store, Dennis Giangreco,
doesn’t want to make any money, he just wants you to come down and take
his stuff away. There has never been anything like a free store in
Kansas City. It goes beyond any of the “hip” shops we have had because
everything is free and it exists completely outside the capitalistic
framework of profit motives. Also it is not a Mission Hills owned
philanthropic “thrift shop” designed to put second hand goods within the
reach of the impoverished; those poor devils god help them, we simply
must do something for them this very afternoon when we’re through
shopping at the Plaza. The Free Store has political implications that no
hip shops have had before in Kansas City. Its very existence tends to
undermine the dream of making a fast buck. It represents the sentiments
of a community that feels leisure to be more important than affluence
and “getting ahead”. The shop could use some book cases and clothes. Go
down to the Free Store, give away your stuff and get some different
stuff.
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Column that appeared in The Screw (8/1/1969) |
